11:1 And now it came to pass in the seventy and second year of the
reign of the judges that the contentions did increase, insomuch that
there were wars throughout all the land among all the people of Nephi.
11:2 And it was this secret band of robbers who did carry on this work
of destruction and wickedness. And this war did last all that year; and
in the seventy and third year it did also last.
11:3 And it came to pass that in this year Nephi did cry unto the Lord,
saying:
11:4 O Lord, do not suffer that this people shall be destroyed by the
sword; but O Lord, rather let there be a famine in the land, to stir
them up in remembrance of the Lord their God, and perhaps they will
repent and turn unto thee.
11:5 And so it was done, according to the words of Nephi. And there was
a great famine upon the land, among all the people of Nephi. And thus
in the seventy and fourth year the famine did continue, and the work of
destruction did cease by the sword but became sore by famine.
11:6 And this work of destruction did also continue in the seventy and
fifth year. For the earth was smitten that it was dry, and did not
yield forth grain in the season of grain; and the whole earth was
smitten, even among the Lamanites as well as among the Nephites, so
that they were smitten that they did perish by thousands in the more
wicked parts of the land.
11:7 And it came to pass that the people saw that they were about to
perish by famine, and they began to remember the Lord their God; and
they began to remember the words of Nephi.
11:8 And the people began to plead with their chief judges and their
leaders, that they would say unto Nephi: Behold, we know that thou art
a man of God, and therefore cry unto the Lord our God that he turn away
from us this famine, lest all the words which thou hast spoken
concerning our destruction be fulfilled.
11:9 And it came to pass that the judges did say unto Nephi, according
to the words which had been desired. And it came to pass that when
Nephi saw that the people had repented and did humble themselves in
sackcloth, he cried again unto the Lord, saying:
11:10 O Lord, behold this people repenteth; and they have swept away
the band of Gadianton from amongst them insomuch that they have become
extinct, and they have concealed their secret plans in the earth.
11:11 Now, O Lord, because of this their humility wilt thou turn away
thine anger, and let thine anger be appeased in the destruction of
those wicked men whom thou hast already destroyed.
11:12 O Lord, wilt thou turn away thine anger, yea, thy fierce anger,
and cause that this famine may cease in this land.
11:13 O Lord, wilt thou hearken unto me, and cause that it may be done
according to my words, and send forth rain upon the face of the earth,
that she may bring forth her fruit, and her grain in the season of
grain.
11:14 O Lord, thou didst hearken unto my words when I said, Let there
be a famine, that the pestilence of the sword might cease; and I know
that thou wilt, even at this time, hearken unto my words, for thou
saidst that: If this people repent I will spare them.
11:15 Yea, O Lord, and thou seest that they have repented, because of
the famine and the pestilence and destruction which has come unto them.
11:16 And now, O Lord, wilt thou turn away thine anger, and try again
if they will serve thee? And if so, O Lord, thou canst bless them
according to thy words which thou hast said.
11:17 And it came to pass that in the seventy and sixth year the Lord
did turn away his anger from the people, and caused that rain should
fall upon the earth, insomuch that it did bring forth her fruit in the
season of her fruit. And it came to pass that it did bring forth her
grain in the season of her grain.
11:18 And behold, the people did rejoice and glorify God, and the whole
face of the land was filled with rejoicing; and they did no more seek
to destroy Nephi, but they did esteem him as a great prophet, and a man
of God, having great power and authority given unto him from God.
11:19 And behold, Lehi, his brother, was not a whit behind him as to
things pertaining to righteousness.
11:20 And thus it did come to pass that the people of Nephi began to
prosper again in the land, and began to build up their waste places,
and began to multiply and spread, even until they did cover the whole
face of the land, both on the northward and on the southward, from the
sea west to the sea east.
11:21 And it came to pass that the seventy and sixth year did end in
peace. And the seventy and seventh year began in peace; and the church
did spread throughout the face of all the land; and the more part of
the people, both the Nephites and the Lamanites, did belong to the
church; and they did have exceedingly great peace in the land; and thus
ended the seventy and seventh year.
11:22 And also they had peace in the seventy and eighth year, save it
were a few contentions concerning the points of doctrine which had been
laid down by the prophets.
11:23 And in the seventy and ninth year there began to be much strife.
But it came to pass that Nephi and Lehi, and many of their brethren who
knew concerning the true points of doctrine, having many revelations
daily, therefore they did preach unto the people, insomuch that they
did put an end to their strife in that same year.
11:24 And it came to pass that in the eightieth year of the reign of
the judges over the people of Nephi, there were a certain number of the
dissenters from the people of Nephi, who had some years before gone
over unto the Lamanites, and taken upon themselves the name of
Lamanites, and also a certain number who were real descendants of the
Lamanites, being stirred up to anger by them, or by those dissenters,
therefore they commenced a war with their brethren.
11:25 And they did commit murder and plunder; and then they would
retreat back into the mountains, and into the wilderness and secret
places, hiding themselves that they could not be discovered, receiving
daily an addition to their numbers, inasmuch as there were dissenters
that went forth unto them.
11:26 And thus in time, yea, even in the space of not many years, they
became an exceedingly great band of robbers; and they did search out
all the secret plans of Gadianton; and thus they became robbers of
Gadianton.
11:27 Now behold, these robbers did make great havoc, yea, even great
destruction among the people of Nephi, and also among the people of the
Lamanites.
11:28 And it came to pass that it was expedient that there should be a
stop put to this work of destruction; therefore they sent an army of
strong men into the wilderness and upon the mountains to search out
this band of robbers, and to destroy them.
11:29 But behold, it came to pass that in that same year they were
driven back even into their own lands. And thus ended the eightieth
year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi.
11:30 And it came to pass in the commencement of the eighty and first
year they did go forth again against this band of robbers, and did
destroy many; and they were also visited with much destruction.
11:31 And they were again obliged to return out of the wilderness and
out of the mountains unto their own lands, because of the exceeding
greatness of the numbers of those robbers who infested the mountains
and the wilderness.
11:32 And it came to pass that thus ended this year. And the robbers
did still increase and wax strong, insomuch that they did defy the
whole armies of the Nephites, and also of the Lamanites; and they did
cause great fear to come unto the people upon all the face of the land.
11:33 Yea, for they did visit many parts of the land, and did do great
destruction unto them; yea, did kill many, and did carry away others
captive into the wilderness, yea, and more especially their women and
their children.
11:34 Now this great evil, which came unto the people because of their
iniquity, did stir them up again in remembrance of the Lord their God.
11:35 And thus ended the eighty and first year of the reign of the
judges.
11:36 And in the eighty and second year they began again to forget the
Lord their God. And in the eighty and third year they began to wax
strong in iniquity. And in the eighty and fourth year they did not mend
their ways.
11:37 And it came to pass in the eighty and fifth year they did wax
stronger and stronger in their pride, and in their wickedness; and thus
they were ripening again for destruction.
11:38 And thus ended the eighty and fifth year.